Schools

Jefferson Fifth Grade Redistricting Unlikely, Dolan Retains Authority to Make Moves

Three student moves change class size situation.

In-coming fifth graders at Jefferson School are unlikely to be moved to a neighboring school due to a sudden change in the population make-up in the grade.

Schools Superintendent Margaret Dolan has announced that three students in the fifth grade have moved out of the school district. She said this will give the school district breathing room on class size and allow new fifth graders in the Jefferson district to continue to stay in the Boulevard school.

"The good news is we have three students moving out of Jefferson," Dolan said. "We don't think we need to make a change."

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The Board of Education has decided via consensus to authorize Dolan to make changes over the summer based on student population spikes. The issue came to light due to the budget constraints placed on the school district following Gov. Chris Christie's March decision to slash Westfield's state education aid by $4.22 million. Dolan said she does not have the money to hire an additional teacher in certain circumstances like the Jefferson fifth grade population growth.

BOE member Ginny Leiz, the policy committee chairwoman, said the current policy, which she had with her, has the students placed in the school for their residential area. It also grants Dolan the power to move a student under special circumstances. Class size and population growth are not specifically mentioned in the current policy. The BOE had considered a resolution granting Dolan the specific authority to move based on class size.

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"It is a fairly broad policy," Leiz said.

BOE member Richard Mattessich found the proposal too broad and objected to giving Dolan the broader power. Mattessich, who was elected in the aftermath of the controversial Washington School redistricting, wanted the language to be made more narrow for the current Jefferson circumstances.

The board changed the vote to be a consensus vote allowing Dolan to make any changes as needed this summer and avoided a formal vote on a motion for the policy.

Dolan noted she wanted to discuss the matter with the board in case of any other scenerios which increase population. She recalled a situation when she was a principal when seven second grade boys moved in to the school at the same time, changing class sizes.

"We have other scenerios where we could have an interesting group move in," Dolan said, noting she discussed the situation with the BOE attorney. "This allows us to do it shold something happen."


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